9:51 AM,
Feb. 15, 2014

Alexis Herda sat up in bed Jan. 4 for the first time in nearly a week after suffering a near-fatal pulmonary embolism.

Written by

Patrick O?Neill
Staff Writer

Connie Patterson sat on the living room floor, wrapping Christmas presents for her three children in the early morning hours of Dec. 23. She was enjoying some mother-daughter time with her eldest, 19, when the duo were interrupted by 16-year-old Alexis Herda, who came out of her room complaining of extreme leg pain.

It wasn't like her daughter to complain, so Patterson decided to take Alexis to the hospital to get things sorted out. As Alexis walked past to get a drink of water, Patterson applied the last piece of tape to a gift. That's when she heard a thud on the floor behind her.